Man sentenced to 20 years for using minor to peddle methamphetamines

Patricio Alcorta had an enterprising apprentice one cohort called a “junior hustler.”

The sidekick was a go-getter, the sort of motivated salesman who would line up sales even before the goods arrived.

But there was a problem: Alcorta’s assistant was a 17-year-old boy, and their trade was peddling methamphetamines.

Alcorta, a 29-year-old Moorhead man, was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for his leadership role in the drug-trafficking ring.

That sentence was the mandatory minimum, but about two years short of the sentence sought by federal prosecutors, who wanted a stiffer penalty for a man who exploited a minor.

“He moved large quantities of meth into the area,” said Chris Myers, assistant U.S. attorney, urging a stiff sentence for Alcorta, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell illegal drugs.

Alcorta’s juvenile assistant served as a lieutenant who was involved as a courier and dealer, according to testimony by Wes Libner, a Fargo police narcotics detective and member of a Drug Enforcement Agency task force.

A co-defendant once overheard Alcorta telling his young lieutenant, “You’re a good salesman,” Libner said.

Some of the quantities the juvenile handled were large, including one 16-ounce transaction, Libner said. The